Chassis data regarding steering angle as well as load state and spring deflection state are currently determined by means of suitable sensors in the vehicle to supply data for electronic systems. These are used for the electronic stability programs or, e.g., for headlight leveling control. These sensors are frequently coupled, as separate structural components, to the connecting rods of the chassis via mechanisms. Furthermore, an effort is made to integrate these sensors in ball and socket joints of the connecting rods, so that the joint itself is part of a sensor array.
A ball and socket joint with a ball socket connected to a housing and a ball connected to a pin that is rotatably mounted in the housing has become known from EP 0 617 260 A1. A permanent magnet, opposite which lies a magnetic sensing element arranged in the housing, is arranged in the ball end. The magnetic dipole of the permanent magnet is aligned at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the ball pivot, whereby a bellows is provided for the protection of the ball joint against the effects of the environment. By means of a rotation of the ball end in the ball socket, the permanent magnet is also rotated, such that the magnetic field in relation to the magnetic-field-sensitive sensing element changes and a position signal is generated. Additionally occurring three-dimensional movements may be considered in corresponding evaluation for control purposes.
A ball and socket joint with a housing section and a ball pin having a pin section and a ball section, which is mounted rotatably and pivotably, with its ball section, in a mount provided in the housing section, is known from DE 101 10 738 C1. In the ball section there is arranged a permanent magnet in radial alignment with the central point of the ball section, whereby a magnetic-field-sensitive sensor element is integrated into the mount. With a rotating movement of the ball section, the permanent magnet is moved in relation to the sensor element, so that the relative rotational position of the ball section in the mount can be determined.
Such ball and socket joints have the drawback that the tribological properties of the ball and socket joint may be affected negatively by the arrangement of magnet and magnetic-field-sensitive sensing element in the mounting area of the joint ball.